Bill > HCR81

This joint resolution requests the United States Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to conduct a performance review of the Honolulu Rail Transit Project, which has experienced significant challenges since its inception. The project, established by the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART), was originally approved by voters in 2008 and 2010, with an initial estimated cost of $5.5 billion and completion date of 2020. However, the project has since faced massive cost overruns, extensive delays, and multiple lawsuits, with the current timeline pushed to 2030 and the estimated cost ballooning to $12.45 billion. The state of Hawaii has already provided $3.9 billion in additional funding through tax surcharges, and the project has received just over $1.1 billion in federal funding. Drawing a parallel to the California High-Speed Rail Project, which recently underwent a federal compliance review, this resolution seeks to initiate a thorough performance review under the 2024 Amended Full Funding Grant Agreement to determine whether satisfactory progress is being made, with copies of the resolution to be sent to key stakeholders including the Transportation Secretary, FTA, project management consultants, and HART leadership.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HCR&billnumber=81&year=2025